By Trelle Kolojay

VIDEO: Saskatoon woman writing for new NBC show

Jan 20, 2015 | 4:52 PM

A woman from Saskatoon has a hand in shaping the new thriller TV series, State of Affairs, as one of the main writers.

Susan Morris is from the Bridge City and now lives in Los Angeles, where she is working on the show following the life of a CIA analyst, played by Katherine Heigl, responsible for briefing the president of the United States on security threats.

“Coming from Saskatoon, I honestly didn’t have an idea that I’d end up in Los Angeles writing for television. It’s been fun, it’s been a great journey and also I really feel Saskatoon is a great place to come from,” she said.

Morris started her post-secondary studies at the University of Saskatchewan before moving to Toronto and interning with a small film company. When she fell in love with film, she went to film school in Los Angeles.

The State of Affairs show found her after a pilot she wrote for a different project fell through but one of the people involved in that failed project, Joe Carnahan, wanted her help on a new one.

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“That project fell apart for a number of reasons and in January of last year, Joe (Carnahan) gave me a call and said he was getting this NBC gig and wanted me to come on and write with him.”

The show also draws on the experience of two executive producers who are ex-CIA agents.

“They always thought it would be a great idea to do a show about the person who briefs the president of the United States, so they brought in Katherine Heigl and another producer and it originated with them. We came on and wrote the pilot script.”

Now, she’s helping with the twists and turns of the series, but still can’t reveal what will happen or any plans for the future of the show.

“Trust me, my parents are always calling going, ‘What’s going to happen next week?’ I can’t say,” she laughed.

Morris said the best part of working on State of Affairs has been developing a “TV family.” Every week, one of the writers hosts a viewing party where they gather to have dinner and watch the show. Morris also said Katherine Heigl is a lovely person who has opened her arms to the cast and crew and Alfre Woodard, who plays the female, black president, is an amazing and powerful person.
 
Morris said the last year has been a whirlwind journey that happened so fast. The show wraps up next Monday with an episode Morris co-wrote. NBC has until May to let them know if they want a second season, so as she waits to hear, Morris plans to work on another pilot.

State of Affairs airs Monday nights on NBC and Global.

tkolojay@rawlco.com

Follow on Twitter: @Trelle_K